Tearjerker Movie Lists ｜Realistic Films about Parenting｜Wise Library 1985

By Research Writer: Margaret W. Lavigne 

Film, The Impossible 

It’s a heart-wrenching film which is rife with agony, terror and hope. The movie script is based on a true-life story of a Spanish family who went on a Christmas holiday in 2004 and they were caught up in the tsunami which took away the life of roughly 230,000 people. With conviction, the family manages to survive and reunion. It’s not a conventional disaster movie.

They suffer, but they did not lose hope in the chaos and devastation nor did they become indignant about God ’s arrangement. God’s trials often come with blessings. There are gifts behind disasters if we do not blind our vision by negative emotions. Anger and sorrow stop people from seeing the gifts behind a disastrous event. They are terrified  but they remain kind, righteous and they try to help the week and the needed. 

Film, Parenthood (1989) 

Category: American comedy-drama film 

Plot
Gil Buckman is trying to balance his family and his career. He senses that his eldest son, Kevin, has emotional problems and he blames himself for that. Also, his wife gets pregnant with their fourth child. Gil concerns about the financial burdens of another child. Gil opens up to his own father about his worries as a parent. Frank tells him that worry for children never ends. Gil’s older sister is a divorced woman whose ex-husband shakes his responsibility for his first family after he moved into his second marriage. 

Cast
Steve Martin as Gil Buckman
Max Elliott Slade as Young Gil Buckman
Dianne Wiest as Helen Buckman
Mary Steenburgen as Karen Buckman
Jason Robards as Frank Buckman
Rick Moranis as Nathan Huffner
Tom Hulce as Larry Buckman
Martha Plimpton as Julie Buckman
Keanu Reeves as Tod Higgins
Harley Jane Kozak as Susan Buckman-Huffner
Eileen Ryan as Marilyn Buckman
Leaf Phoenix as Garry Buckman-Lampkin
Helen Shaw as Grandma
Jasen Fisher as Kevin Buckman
Paul Linke as George Bowman
Alisan Porter as Taylor Buckman
Ivyann Schwann as Patty Huffner
Zachary La Voy as Justin Buckman
Alex Burrall as Cool Buckman
Charmin Lee as Nurse at Hospital
Dennis Dugan as David Brodsky

Film, Like Arrows (2018) 

Synopsis and Movie Review 
Alice is terrified and anxious when she learns that she is pregnant when is just 20. Her boyfriend Charlie embraces the responsibility of fatherhood with a spontaneous proposal. It’s never easy to navigate parenting through the course of life. The couple determines to raise their children in the church. They suppose that raising the kids in the church will guarantee happy, well-disciplined children,. Their eldest son, Ronnie abandoned their shared faith and do not show any love or respect for his parents.

Kids and teenagers are struggling with all sorts of issues as adults, such as interpersonal relationships or low self-esteem issues. The couples tend to mend their family relationship as many couples do. They tend to rearrange their life priorities. 

Work consumes most of their time and energy on a daily basis. They were being helpless and they tend to seek God’s guidance to direct their lives. Being a parent, you’re apt to have more to do, more tasks, roles and demands in everyday life. Sleep deprivation is a commonplace thing for young couples for sure. Long-term sleep deprivation guarantees emotional weakness, which is verified by science. To have a balanced life, we have to let go of our unduly desires. During the tough times, conflict or resentment stops people from loving each other. Be aware that negative emotions pave the way for tragedy and invite Satan’s coming.

Director: Kevin Peeples

Scriptwriters: Kevin Peeples, Dinika Peeples , Kevin Peeples ,Bob Lepine,Alex Kendrick 
Leading Actors and Actress : Micah Lynn Hanson, Alan Powell, Elizabeth Becka

Film, Stepmom ( 1998)

Synopsis and Movie Review 

Luke’s ex-wife Jackie (Susan Sarandon) is a perfectly responsible mother. But Jackie is terminally ill. Luke has moved on to another relationship with a photographer named Isabel (Julia Roberts) .

It’s not easy to build a connection with kids. It’s never easy to earn the trust of the kids. Jackie’s little daughter holds hatred against her father’s new girlfriend. Jackie is struggling that she is hoping that another woman will take good care of her kids after her death and she is also dread of being replaced or being forgotten by her beloved kids.

Isabel gets frustrated when she consistently fails to win the hearts of the two kids. The status quo changed as Luke asks Isabel to marry him and Jackie learns that she has potentially-fatal cancer.

Film, Parental Guidance (2012) 

category: American family comedy film

Plot 

It’s the film for grandparents who is willing to babysit their grandchildren. Artie Decker and his wife Diane tend to make their grandchildren their friends.The grandchildren have their own issues. Harper has high achievement syndrome. Turner suffers from stutter problem. Barker has a imaginary friend, Carl the kangaroo.

Cast

Billy Crystal as Artie Decker
Bette Midler as Diane Decker
Marisa Tomei as Alice Decker-Simmons
Tom Everett Scott as Phil Simmons
Bailee Madison as Harper Simmons
Joshua Rush as Turner Simmons
Kyle Harrison Breitkopf as Barker Simmons
Gedde Watanabe as Mr. Cheng
Rhoda Griffis as Dr. Schveer
Jennifer Crystal Foley as Cassandra

High achievers refer to those who are driven by a strong motive to accomplish something difficult. It’s worth noting that those who tend to avoid failures will achieve less for sure. High achievers turn their plan and words into action. Being restless and never standing still, high achievers are more likely to be all-year-round workaholics. They tend to focus on productivity.  They are more likely to exhaust themselves due to sleep deprivation. They are anxious to turn their vision into reality. They are more likely to suffer from anxiety disorders and depression. 

Common characteristics of high achievers

1. Your self-worth is tied to your accomplishments. You feel bad or terrible about yourself unless you achieve what you want.

2. You’re a perfectionist that nothing is good enough for your expectation. You have to be the best at everything you do, including your hobbies.

3. You tend to be competitive even when playing board games with friends and kids.

4. You tend to be superior to others by outwitting others or wining out others in all fields.

5. You are a workaholic and you tend to level up your self-worth all the time.

Film, Wonder (2017) 

Plot and Movie Review 

The story is about how a kid who carries a visible facial flaw when he grows up. Evidently, mental support from the family means a lot. Unconditional love does help people boost their inner strength. It tells an inspirational tale about a little boy with a facial deformity and how his physical deformity affects his self-esteem and interpersonal relationships in school.

Again, no social prejudice, no trauma.

Everyone has weaknesses but we don’t have to show it to everyone. People try hard to hide their flaws. Are you comfortable with your imperfections? People crave for perfection and unconditional love.

Without imperfection, we have no chance to witness unconditional love. 

Film, Lion 

▲Movie Trailer, Lion 

The movie script is adapted from the book “A long way home.” The author Saroo Brierley separated from his family at the age of five because he overslept on the train. When he woke up, he was already in Bangladesh and he fails to find his brother. He was lucky to be adopted by an Australian couple and grew up in Australia. One day, Saroo recalled his childhood memories when he had a meal with his friends. He was anxious to know whether his blood mother was safe and sound. 

Film, Front of the Class

Brad’s parents have divorced and his mother Ellen (Patricia Heaton) raise Brad and his brother Jeff (Charles Wyson) pretty much on her own as a single mother. Brad Cohen always gets punished by his teachers or father for making strange noises. Indeed, Brad Cohen suffers from a disease named touretts and his mother was told that there was no cure for that.  Brad’s behaviour is usually mistaken as intentional mischief. Evidently, Brad encountered discrimination for his difference.

In this fact-based story. Brad makes repetitive noises involuntarily  even in class. He can’t control himself particularly when he feels uncomfortable or nervous and he often gets published for that.  Before Tourette syndrome had been diagnosed as a neurological disorder, Brad’s illness was judged as misbehaviour. It’s comforting to know that he does not become cynical for being discriminated against. Instead, he is determined to be a teacher unlike those who misjudged him or mistreated him.

Life gets hard as during his constant search to land a job. He is being rejected repeatedly 24 times due to his irreversible illness. His father does not trust in his ability to be a teacher but he wins over the trust from the fellow teachers along with his students. Ultimately, he establishes himself as a gifted teacher by turning his weakness into his strength. Disabilities is a frequently dismissed topic for the general public. With more love and understanding, we will have a better world.

Brad was teased by other kids and misjudged by school teachers until a principal recognized that Brad’s “acting up” was actually out of Tourette. The principal’s attitude helped Brad win peer and teacher’s understanding and acceptance. Brad is being open about his illness. His easy-going manner and sense of humour make him popular among the kids and he was rewarded for being an outstanding teacher.

CAST
James Wolk … Brad Cohen
Dominic Scott Kay … Young Brad Cohen
Patricia Heaton … Ellen Cohen
Treat Williams … Norman Cohen
Sarah Drew … Nancy Lazarus
Kathleen York … Diane
Joe Chrest … Jim Ovbey
Patricia Heaton … Ellen Cohen
Johnny Pacar … Jeff
Charles Henry Wyson … Young Jeff
Charlie Finn … Ron
Dianne Butler … Hilarie Straka
Helen Ingebritsen … Susan
Laura Whyte … Brenda
Mike Pniewski … Principal Myer
Michael H. Cole … Principal Fowler